A typical data storage system stores and retrieves data for one or more external host devices. Conventional data storage systems typically include processing circuitry and a set of disk drives electrically coupled to the processing circuitry. The processing circuitry includes one or more ports, such as Ethernet ports, that allow the host devices to connect to the processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is typically configured to perform load and store operations on the set of disk drives on behalf of the host devices.
In certain cases, an enterprise can utilize different types of storage systems to form a complete data storage environment. In one arrangement, the enterprise can utilize both a block based storage system, such as a CLARiiON™ system (produced by EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, Mass.), and a file based storage hardware, such as a Celerra™ system (produced by EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, Mass.). In such an arrangement, typically the file based storage hardware operates as a front-end to the block based storage system such that the file based storage hardware and the block based storage system form a unified storage system.